Endless conveyor



United States Patent 197- 198; 271/45, 75: 101/416, 420; 34/162; l17/(1nquired); 118/324, 58, 58-69, 500- 506, 48-495; 263/8; 21/(1nquired); 134/(lnquired) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 445,018 1/1891 Hawkins 101/420 1,094,281 4/1914 West 198/198X 3,055,488 9/1962 Stone 198/198 1,979,758 11/1934 Merritt 118/324 FOREIGN PATENTS 99,248 6/1940 Sweden 198/198 1,131,595 6/1962 Germany 198/193 737,699 10/1943 Germany 118/324 Primary ExaminerMorris Kaplan Attorney- Blum, Moscovitz, Friedman, Blum and Kaplan ABSTRACT: An improved automatic raised printing machine wherein the wire mesh endless belt of the conveyor adapted to carry the sheets to be printed past the heating station is provided with a plurality of pins extending outwardly from the upper run thereof and spaced so as to be adapted to receive the lower faces of said sheets supportedly thereon in parallel spaced relation to said belt upper run.

Patented Sept. 1 1970 Sheet INVENTQR 54/7051 IVADFZ-SO/V Y 720% ENDLESS CONVEYOR I This invention relates to improvements in raised printing machines, and in particular relates to an improvement in a raised printing machine making it possible to use such machine to produce raised printing on both sides of a sheet of paper or a card. 7

The invention has particular reference to improvement in certain known types of raised printing machines. By way of ex ample, and without limitation thereto, the invention is applicable to a raised printing machine such as the model N-I2 Super sold by Virkotype Corporation of Plainfield, NJ.

A machine of this type is adapted to receive a sheet or card having ink applied to one surface thereof. While the ink is still wet, it is received by a powder station of the printing machine, whereby any selected resinous powder is applied evenly over the surface of the sheet. Next, by means of a suction head, excess powder material is removed from the sheet, so that the only powder remaining is powder which adheres to the wet ink. The sheet is next conveyed through a heater, which applies heat evenly over the printed surface of the sheet so as to dry the ink and adhere the powder to the ink as well as to impart a raised effect to the powder and ink to simulate engraving. Any well known powder may be used which is suitable for use in a machine of this type. After being conveyed out of the heater, the sheet or card may then be cooled, preferably by a flow of cool air, and may then be conveyed to a receiving tray or other device.

While a machine of the above type has been highly suitable and has enjoyed long commercial success in the application of raised printing to one surface of a sheet or card, the machine has not proven satisfactory for the application of raised printing to both sides ofa sheet or card. Ifthe sheet or card, having printing applied to one surface, is then turned over and subjected again to the above-described process, the previously printed surface is subject to heat which causes the ink and powder to soften and to be smudged by the conveyor.

While the advantages of being able to print both sides of a greeting card, business card or other card or sheet have long been obvious, and while a long-standing need has existed for a machine of the above-described type which would be suitable for applying raised printing to both sides of the sheet or card, to date there has been no commercially successful solution of this problem.

An important object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a modified machine of the above-described type which will make it possible, in commercial high speed runs, to apply raised printing to both sides ofa card or sheet. Another object of the invention is to provide a modification, to accomplish the above object, which can be readily made in existing machinery. These machines are relatively expensive, and it is important to be able to retain existing equipment, although modified in accordance with the present invention, which can achieve the desired result of being able to produce raised printing on both sides of the sheet or card.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment .of the invention, I modify the conveyor which carries the card or sheet through the heating station. Preferably, such modification is also made in the conveyor which carries the sheet or card through the cooling station. In each instance, such conveyor consists of a pair of parallel rollers, about which extends an endless wire mesh belt. This wire mesh belt has upper and lower horizontal runs, the upper run adapted to receive the card or sheet and carry it in the desired direction under the source of heat. In accordance with the invention, I mount a plurality of pins on the belt so as to be transverse thereto. These pins are spaced so that as each sheet or card is fed to the belt, it is received on several ofsuch pins, sufficient to support the card in spaced parallel relation to the wire mesh. In this way, the previously printed surface of the card or sheet is supported by a few pins and is spaced from the wire mesh. Accordingly, even though the previously applied ink and powder may soften, it is not smeared in any way by the conveyor and does not adhere in any way to the conveyor. Preferably, the

conveyor carrying the card or sheet through the cooling station also has the same pins, so that the previously printed surface of the card or sheet does not come into contact with any other object, other than the heads of pins, until it is cool again.

In tests of the modified machine, it has been found that with the provision of the pins, the machine operates effectively to produce raised printing on both sides of a card or sheet, whereas previously more costly and difficult alternatives have not succeeded in this result.

Another object of the invention is to provide various simple means for mounting the pins upon the conveyor, and a number of embodiments of such mounting means are disclosed in the following description and in the drawings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a raised printing machine having my improvement applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the conveyors of the machine, modified in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the conveyor shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. Sis a fragmentary section on line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary exploded top plan view of a second embodiment of the conveyor in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view, similar to FIGS. 4 and 7, ofa third embodiment of the invention.

Reference is made to the drawings to complete the disclosure herein.

Upon reference first to FIG. I, it will be noted that it shows an automatic raised printing machine 10 which may be conventional, except for the modification in accordance with this invention. Thus, by way of example, the machine may be the Model N-l2 Super machine of Virkotype Corporation, referred to above. Since this machine is well known, the machine is shown and described in this application only sufficiently for an understanding of the present invention.

Briefly, the machine 10 comprises a longitudinally horizontally extending frame II having supports l2, I3, 14 and 15. Machine 10 has an input conveyor 16 which is adapted to receive sheets or cards from a printing press, such conveyor feeding the sheets or cards to the left, as taken in FIG. 1, and as indicated by the arrow 17. For convenience, in the following description the material which is to be processed and which is taken from the printing press will be referred to as a card 5, a representative card 5 being shown in FIG. 2. Such card 5 has an upper surface 5a, to which any suitable printing 6 may have been applied in the printing press, as exemplified, purely for illustrative purposes, by the shown text ABC. The card 5 is received on the conveyor 16 while the ink is still wet. The card 5 is conveyed into a station 18 wherein powder is first applied evenly over the card surface 5a, and excess powder is then sucked or vacuumed from the surface 5a. As a result, at the exit end of station I8, powder adheres to the card 5 only over the previously inked portions 6. Any resinous powder suitable for the intended purpose may be used, and since such powders are well known they are not described in detail in this application.

Further, in such known machine, after the card passes station 18 it is received by a further conveyor and passed through station 19, still in the direction of arrow 17. Such station 19 which may include infrared heat generators or gas burners which apply heat evenly to the entire upper card surface 5a, from above. The result is to cause a fusion of the powder to the ink as well as to impart to the powder and ink a raised effect so as to simulate engraving, in accordance with well known principles.

The card next passes, by means of a further conveyor, through the cooling station 20, which has overhead air delivery means for applying cooling air to the card surface 5a so as to dry the ink and harden the surface. Finally, the card is received from station 20 by receiving tray 21 or other appropriate receiving device.

Any suitable means may be provided for driving the conveyors, and for recirculating the powder taken by suction from the card, so that such powder is returned to the hopper to be reused. These features, of course, are well known, and need not be described in detail.

The conveyor utilized in passing the card through station is designated by the reference numeral 30, and the conveyor used in carrying card 5 through the station is designated by the reference numeral 31. Since these conveyors are substantially the same in construction, in accordance with the modifcation which is the subject of this application, the conveyors differing, if at all, only in length, it is deemed sufficient to describe only one such conveyor, which for convenience will be the conveyor 30. This conveyor 30 is shown in detail in FIGS. 25. In the first instance, the conventional portion of the conveyor will be described, and then the improvement applied thereto in accordance with this invention will be described.

As conventional elements, the conveyor includes a pair of substantially identical end rollers 32 (only one shown in FIG. 2). These rollers 32 extend laterally in spaced parallel opposing relationship, and the axes of the two rollers 32 are preferably mounted in a common horizontal plane. The roller 32 may be supported by any suitable means, such as the shaft 33, and the shaft 33 may be suitably journalled in side pieces of frame 11 and may be driven by any suitable means (not shown). An endless wire mesh belt 34 is extended around the rollers 32, such belt 34 having an upper feed run 34:: which carries the card 5 in the direction of arrow 17, and a lower return run 34b which moves in the direction opposite to arrow 17. Preferably, the length of run 340 is approximately equal to the length of the station 19.

The wire mesh of the conveyor belt 34 is only shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, but is shown in detail in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The wire mesh is ofconventional structure and includes spaced laterally extending wires 35 interwoven with wires 36. Each such wire 35 is flat and of zigzag shape having legs 35a and 35b in alternating relationship and alternating in angular inclination, as clearly shown in FIG. 3. The junctions 350 of the legs 35a and 35b of successive wires 35 are longitudinally aligned, also as shown in FIG. 3. Each wire 36 has alternating upper legs 36a and lower legs 36b, disposed at angles to the longitudinal as shown in FIG. 3. Each leg 36a passes over successive wires 35 and extends behind and under a wire 35 at a junction point 350 to connect with a lower leg 36b which extends under the first-mentioned wire 35 and around the front thereof to connect with the front of the next leg 36a. Accordingly, the legs 36a and 3612 are arranged in zigzag relationship and are engaged around successive wires 35 at respective junction points 360 thereof.

In this embodiment, in accordance with the invention, a plurality of flat bars 40 are extended laterally through the wire mesh. Thus, the bar 40 is located between successive wires 35, the bar 40 being sufficiently narrow to beso accommodated. ln addition, the bar 40 is extended below the respective wire legs 36a and above the respective wire legs 36!), as clearly shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 2, these bars 40 are preferably uniformly spaced, and by the nature of the construction, the bars 40 are parallel to each other. Each bar has a plurality of spaced screw threaded holes 2.

A plurality of pins 41 are releasably secured to the outer face of each bar 40, so as to extend transversely thereto. Each pin 41 is located between successive wire legs 36a and extends upwardly thereof. Each pin 41 is preferably upwardly tapered so as to terminate in an upper end point 41a which need not be sharp but which is of small area. The base of each pin 41 has a screwed threaded depending shank 42 which may be screwed into a hole 2 of bar 40. These pins 41 may be arranged in any suitable pattern. As shown, there are three pins 41 on each bar 40, dividing the wire mesh into approximately four equal lateral segments. Also as shown, the illustrative card 5 is of size to be received upon the pins 41 of two successive bars 40. With card 5 reasonably stiff, the card is thus supported in flat condition in spaced parallel relation to the wire mesh run 34. The pins 41 extend upwardly from such run 34, although in the course of movement of the belt the pins extend around the rollers 32 and extend downwardly from the bottom run 34b. Since the bar 40 does not support much weight it can be relatively thin, so as easily to clear the vertical distance between the wire legs 36a and 36b. Furthermore, because of the general flexibility of the conveyor belt, the bars 40 extend around the rollers 32 without any difficulty.

it will further be apparent that for clearance purposes, it is entirely satisfactory first to insert the bar 40 into the wire mesh, and then to secure the pins 41 to the bar. Optionally, the shank of pin 41 may be releasably rigidly secured frictionally or by any other suitable means within hole 2. Optionally, the pins 41 may be made without shanks 42 and may be soldered or otherwise fixed to bar 40.

In operation, the machine is operated entirely in the conventional manner, and the cards are allowed to travel from the printing press into the machine with the surfaces 5a bearing the printing 6 uppermost. The machine operates exactly as previously, except that the cards ride upon the pins 41 in spaced parallel relationship to the mesh. The raised printing is thus produced upon the surfaces 5a of the cards, and the cards while traveling on conveyor 30 are subjected to the heat of station 19 and while traveling on the conveyor 31 are subjected to the drying and cooling of station 20.

The cards are then turned over, and subject to the printing with the surfaces 5a facing downward. The cards are again allowed to enter the machine 10, and are subjected to the same treatment as previously except that in this instance the raised printing upon the surface 512 opposite from the surface 5a is produced. During this second run through the machine, the card surfaces 5a rest upon the tops of the pins 41 and are thereby spaced from and out of contact with the wire mesh. This means that even though the printing 6 upon the surface 5a is softened, such printing is not in any way smeared or otherwise marred by the wire mesh. At most, in a minor number of instances, the pin tip 410 may actually engage some of the printing 6 and may cause a very slight deterioration in the appearance of such printing, which is hardly noticeable except upon close scrutiny by the expert. Furthermore, as a particular feature of the invention, if the pins are screwed into the bars, the location of the pins may be selected so that they miss the printing on the card, there being sufficient holes in each bar for such purpose. The final result is to produce a card or sheet with raised printing on both sides.

ln the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, at selected intervals one of the links or legs 136a corresponding to the leg 36a of the first embodiment is cut at the point 137, and bent at the point 138, to establish a transverse outwardly extending pin 141 which corresponds in function to the pin 41 of the first embodiment. This pin 41 has a tip 141a the spacing of which from legs 136a corresponds substantially to the spacing of tip 410 of the legs 36a of the first embodiment. it will be apparent that the operation of the two embodiments is entirely the same. The pins 141 may be arranged in the same pattern as in the first embodiment, or in any other selected pattern appropriate to the dimensions of the cards or sheets 5.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the pin 241 is secured by welding 242 or the like directly to the upper mesh leg 36a. The spacing between the tip 241a and the leg 36a is the same as the corresponding spacing in the first embodiment. Again, the embodiment of FIG. 8 operates in the same manner as the two preceding embodiments, and the pins 241 may be arranged in any desired pattern depending upon the dimensions of the card or sheet 5.

While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, and have indicated various possible changes, omissions and additions which may be made therein, it will be apparent that various other changes, omissions and additions may be made in the invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof.

lclaim:

1. In combination with an automatic raised printing machine including longitudinally successive stations for applying powder to the upper faces of successive horizontal sheets having previously applied wet ink on parts thereof, for yacuuming powder from the noninked parts of the sheets, and for applying heat to said upper faces of said sheets, and a conveyor having a pair of spaced parallel rollers and a wire mesh endless belt around said rollers having an upper run positioned and adapted to receive the sheets from the powdering and vacuuming station and to carry the sheets longitudinally through the heating station, the improvement which comprises a plurality of pins, and means mounting said pins on said belt transversely thereto and extending outwardly thereof so as to be upstanding relative to the belt upper run and spaced so as to be adapted to receive the lower faces of said sheets supportedly thereon in parallel spaced relation to said belt upper run, whereby raised printing on said lower faces remains substantially intact during the passage of said sheets through said heating station, said belt including links having spaced upper and lower legs, said means mounting said pins comprising a plurality of bars each of which extends laterally between the upper and lower legs of a plurality of the links, and means fixing said pins to said bars with said pins extending between and protruding beyond the mesh of said belt.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, each bar having a plurality of holes, each pin having a shank extension'adapted to be releasably rigidly received within a selected hole with said pin extending between and protruding beyond the mesh of said belt, said holes of each bar being sufficient in number and the bar spacing being such as to permit the location of pins relative to said bars in position to support any one sheet with the variable positions of the pins permitting their location so as to minimize contact thereof with the printed parts of the sheet. 

